THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, September 6, 1995 TAG: 9509020156
SECTION: ISLE OF WIGHT CITIZEN PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ALLISON T. WILLIAMS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SMITHFIELD LENGTH: Long : 101 lines
Smithfield High School senior Mike Forbes spent the summer in the classroom of Real Life 101.
Forbes, 17, extended his distributive education class into the summer by working at Modlin Printing and Office Supply in downtown Smithfield. His work includes operating printing presses, collating book pages, binding books, waiting on customers and cleaning up.
``It has given me the chance to develop skills that will carry over into the real world,'' said Forbes, who plans to continue working there until he graduates. After graduation, he plans to go on to study business administration in college.
Most of his education at Modlin Printing, Forbes said, comes from observation, not action.
``By watching Troy Johnson,'' Modlin's president, ``I've learned the basics needed to run a small business in a small community. I've also learned from the way he handles customers - he has a flow in his relationship with other people.''
Forbes is just one of many county students who are reaping the rewards of the partnerships formed recently between the Isle of Wight/-Smithfield/-Windsor Chamber of Commerce and Isle of Wight Public Schools.
Johnson recently became chairman of the chamber's business/-education committee, which is aggressively working to increase its roster of business partners - 36 right now - for the county schools.
``We want to promote collaboration between schools and businesses,'' Johnson said. ``It's in the best interest of business to have a hand in education, and it benefits students by learning from hands-on experience.''
Roberta Smith, the county's parent-community specialist, agrees.
``They need to know what our schools are all about,'' she said, ``because many of our students are going to be their future employees.''
There are dozens of ways business partnerships can benefit schools and students across the county, she said.
One of the biggest projects under way is raising $2,000 for stipends to pay a business consultant to implement the Junior Achievement Program in Smithfield and Windsor high schools. The program places a local business person into a consulting role, in which he or she spends about two hours a week working with the students, teaching them how to apply economic lessons from a book to real-life business situations.
Smith is hoping several small business will chip in the money needed to get the program off the ground this year.
But money is just one part of what the Isle of Wight business community can offer. Equally important, Smith said, is volunteers who devote the time to projects, such as reading to elementary students, tutoring or being a mentor to students - or just having lunch with students once a month.
``Partnerships,'' Smith said, ``can be structured to meet the needs of the businesses.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo by ALLISON T. WILLIAMS
Mike Forbes, left, spent this summer at Modlin Printing and Office
Supply, working with Troy Johnson, right.
PARTNERS
Bank of Isle of Wight
Burger King
Central Fidelity National Bank
Daily Press Inc.
Farmers Bank
First Union Bank of Virginia
G.F. Walls Agency Inc.
GTE Virginia
Gwaltney of Smithfield
Insight Cablevision
Isle of Wight County Office on Youth
Isle of Wight County Schools
Isle of Wight County Sheriff's Department
Isle of Wight Instrument Co.
Isle of Wight Museum
Isle of Wight/-Smithfield/-Windsor Chamber of Commerce
Johnston & Beale, PC
Little's Supermarket
Louise Obici Memorial Hospital
Malcom T. Cofer, CLU, ChFC
Modlin Printing and Office Supply
Monette Information Systems
NationsBank
P.D. Pruden Vocational-Technical Center
Pizza Hut
Prime Media Productions
Riverside Convalescent Center
Simpson's Pharmacy, Inc.
Smithfield Packing Co. Inc.
Smithfield Police Department
The Oaks Veterinary Clinic
Town of Windsor
Union Camp Corp.
Virginia Power
The Virginian-Pilot
Windsor Ruritan Club Inc.
by CNB